Friday Week 5 of Easter

I call you friends (and not slaves) because I have made known to you everything I learnt from my Father. The major part of Jesus’ farewell discourse is instructive: Jesus wants to ensure that he is leaving behind a group that will further the cause of God that he had initiated. He reminds them of their privileged position as his friends. He has “initiated” them into his family by revealing to them the secrets of the family. However, it is a privilege that also doubles as a responsibility. They have now become “insiders” and as such, they are bound by the tenets of the family, the most important one being love. The family of Jesus is held together by love, a love that seeks the good of the other (to lay down one’s life for one’s friend). But since Jesus realizes that what he is asking of them is a rather tall order, he assures them that as members of the family, they now have the backing of the family, something that a slave would not have. All the resources of the family are at their disposal, including the approval of the Father (whatever you ask the Father in my name you will be given). “You will accomplish my command of love because I have told you how to do it.” It is not so much Jesus telling them as to them seeing Jesus in action. As Jesus’ friends, members of his inner circle, the disciples had seen Jesus in action. They had witnessed him time and again laying down his life for others. He was able to do that because he was being true to whom he was. As one begotten out of love, Jesus had no otherwise but to love. As friends of Jesus, the same could be said of Jesus’ disciples. A friend is begotten out of love and without love, there is can be no friendship. Friendship endures as long as love is expressed between friends. One remains a friend of Jesus by loving. One remains a disciple of Jesus by loving.